Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Killer Critique by
Alexander Campion is the return to work and antics of Capucine and Alexandre.
She is a police Commissaire and he a senior
food critic for Le Monde. Another food critic drowns in his soup
and it is on film because he was video taping the meal as part of his work. He
wasn’t dead when his face fell into the soup. It stayed there and he drowned in
his own soup. It raises some questions of why no one helped him.

After two more murders, Capucine has a serial killer to
catch. This novel takes a turn to the bizarre as she consults a profiler, Vavasseur,
who lives in a very weird place. She knows who the murderer is, but needs
evidence. Since food critics are being targeted, Alexandre is always a target
in Capucine’s mind. She has discovered the fetish of the killer and merely has
to set the trap with the correct bait at the right place and time. This is a
more psychological novel than the others and with fewer graphical descriptions
of food. The scenes with Vavasseur
are priceless as is our favorite letch, Jacques. This novel has more of a Nordic
feel to it, than the French touch of the first two novels. It is of course
satiating.

Monday, October 28, 2013

The Enon of Enon
by Paul Harding is a place. A place where a family lives, a family of many
generations. The narrator, the father, begins by telling us about the death of
his daughter, the leaving of his wife and if it couldn’t gat any worse his
tumbling into despair and the house into disrepair. And that’s juts the first
two chapters. How and why to continue you ask?

Charlie, the narrator, relates Enon history and remembers
his family’s history. The unidentifiable yellow bird is the magic. The magic is
remembering, because sometimes it’s hard to remember. We are treated to his and
Kate’s interactions and conversations as she was growing up. Great image of him
cleaning, no ravaging, the house. Along
the way, it looks like he is trying to follow her as he is drowning in alcohol
and drugs. In his despair he has conversations with his dead daughter. What
stuns me is how quickly and easily his wife abandoned him. That is never clear
except that was her nature anyway. The constant drumming of the theme, “Life is
a gift, we are blessed to be alive,” sets the cadence of the plot. We all
should have a Mrs Hale in our lives. I had a Mrs Stone. Grieving isn’t easy. It
is not being violent or selfish. For Charlie, it starts with getting sober.

Friday, October 25, 2013

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

A Conspiracy of Faith
by Jussi Adler-Olsen is a variation on ‘a message in a bottle.’ This message
was written in blood with a heading of HELP in Danish, though Icelandic was
first considered. The bottle was found in fishermen nets, on a ship that
eventually sunk with all on board, but not before they turned it over to a
Scottish policeman who died in a car chase after receiving the bottle. The
bottle was eventually picked up about four years later by a curious tech genius
who broke the bottle to find the note written in blood. The bottle and note
finally arrived in the hands of Carl Morck, a Danish cop with Department Q, the
cold case department. To add to their woes, Carl’s offices have asbestos
problems so he and his assistants, Rose and Assad have to find new temporary
office space in an already overstaffed office building.

We know the note was written by one of two boys being held
by a man who was going to presumably kill these lads. The one lad with hands
bound and mouth duct taped, somehow wrote this note behind his back in his own
blood and forced it into a bottle that was floating in the debris that was
around them in the fjord water they were being held. One lad was killed while
the other was not returned after a ransom was paid with instructions that the
murderer would find them if they told the cops. Their fate and murderer is the
subject of this mystery.

Religious cults, rebellious sons, and pay back are the
backbone of this devilish plot. The incarnate himself is a master of planning,
of observing, and then striking with a wrath equal to none. And with the single
purpose of wiping the smile off his father’s face at the expense of others. He
is plodding along one God loving soul at a time, while the other is there as a
reminder. But even for him it gets complicated.

Monday, October 21, 2013

The Lowlands by
Jhumpa Lahiri is a history lesson with two brothers, Udayan and his slightly
older brother Subhash, the protagonists. The boys are growing up in turbulent times in Calcutta, India
in the 1960’s. It is post Partition, riots in Naxalbari
in the Darjeeling District (nothing has changed), and at the time of global
student unrest.

The brothers are following different paths. Udayan is adventurous
and rebellious; while Subhash is quiet, studious, and American bound to a Rhode
Island University. Change is in the air as chaos reigns around the world and
youth is at the center of this change. This novel also reads like a
documentary. The author is telling and interspersing dialogue to support the
narrative of a documentary. It is a beautifully told narrative, but lacks the
passion that the story should evoke. This is a sad story that is bereft of the
crying. There is happiness without the joy.

The world must be confusing for Bela with the difference
between Rhode Island and Calcutta, as well as with her parents. Also for
Subhash who once snuck into a club that he is now accepted in. It’s about the
lies, so reread Montaigne.

About Subhash: “Already there was a pill to lower the
cholesterol, another to raise his potassium, a daily aspirin to promote the
passage of blood to his heart through his veins. He stored them in a plastic
box with seven compartments, labeled with the days of the week, counting them
out with his morning oatmeal.” Is this where we all end up?

As a parent we can only help our children with their
choices. As teachers we can only help them with choices. Our choices are ours
and we own them. This novel is about choices and owning them. It is also about
relationships. It is a simple story of two brothers and the choices they each
make in difficult times.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Black Skies by
Arnaldur Indridason opens with Erlendur still on leave in the country. In the
last novel, Elínborg worked alone and the story was all about her. This time
it is about Sigurdur Óli. He has been approached by a classmate to help his
sister-in-law who got involved with “swinging” and is now being blackmailed.

Just as the last novel was a study in rape, this is a study
in pedophilia and child porn. Many discussions of intimacy serve as the
backbone of this novel. We first hear about swinging couples and then some more
about individuals in these couples. We hear about a drunk who is reliving his
childhood abuse and filming by his stepfather and now his sudden discovery of
his stepfather. Sigurdur’s relationships with his mother and his old schoolmates.
Finally we have the relationship of Sigurdur and his now divorced wife, Bergthóra. The
title is perfect as all of these relationships are under black skies.

The murdered lady was a swinger, a married woman who slept around, as
did her husband, and a blackmailer. And of course what wouldn’t make an
Icelandic novel more complete than corrupt, bad mannered, pompous, greedy
bankers before their fall. Most of the action is in Reykjavik with a stroll and
discussion about the symphony center, Harpa,
which is under construction in this novel. It is complete now and is very
controversial.

There is a great deal packed into these 330 pages. Erlendur has been
gone a fortnight out east presumably looking for traces of his long lost
brother. In that time we have been entertained to two great novels about his fellow
detectives, Elínborg in the last novel and Sigurdur in this one. We now know
a great deal of all three of these interesting Icelandic detectives and about Iceland.
I can’t wait till the next novel is released.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

The Grave Gourmet
by Alexander Campion is the debut of the Capucine Culinary Mysteries. Capucine
is a newbie on the rise with the police while her husband, Alexander is a star
in the food circles of Paris since he is an elite food critic. A Friday night
patron’s body is found in the food locker Monday at a three star restaurant.
Capucine luckily catches this case since she was in the right place at the
right time and because of her husband. A great scene about oysters introduces
the chemistry between these two early in the novel and series. Chemistry also
plays a big role in the creation of food. We are wined and dined from the
get-go as we get recipes and enjoy a meal with the duo and others.

The case is all about a fuel injector being built by
Renault. The injector will make the car more fuel-efficient. Capucine has stumbled
over American spies, Korean spies, and too many romances to count all the while
consuming large quantities of fine food and better wine. A particular sommelier
provides some fun as he finds wine more important than food. He may be right,
haha. Capucine’s cousin, Jacques, who works for the French equivalent of the
FBI is introduced and his dirty old man character is humorous, especially since
Capucine knows how to handle him, so we are entertained. Then there is a scene
simply described as “Adam and Eve meet the Untouchables.” Very funny, laugh out
loud hilarious.

Friday, October 11, 2013

Compound Murder by
Bill Crider is another Dan Rhodes Mystery. Ah domesticity, Rhodes lives in a
zoo. An English teacher gets killed in Texas, glad I’ve retired. Quoting the
Dean, “it’s always something with the English teachers.”

Sheriff Dan Rhodes always seems to have his days filled with
hair robbery from the solon, cooper wire theft from air conditioners and
abandoned houses, hogs running amuck in houses and murder. One of the college students suspected of
being involved with the murder of his English professor lives and was brought
up on a Waco type compound. He, however, wants out, which is why he is going to
the local college. Rhodes has a quite, thoughtful demeanor, despite what his
deputy thinks. He is also the model for a fictional heroic sheriff. He doesn’t
disappoint in the end. As he sets out to solve the murder of the English
teacher he proves to them he is no country bumpkin, he knows things that shock
them. His house has one more rescued animal, a cat this time.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Stranded by Alex
Kava is a “Criminal Minds” kind of story. We have a serial killer who hunts at
highway rest stops and buries, after disemboweling the victims, in one place.
The killer, who is taunting the FBI, has sent a map of the burial site to the
FBI investigators, Maggie O’Dell and Tully. The personal interest part of the
story is about a man who rescues dogs and trains the to be corpse finders is
the brother of a young girl who went missing many years ago. He is seeking
closure, one way or the other.

The plot gets creepy quickly in a Patricia Cromwell sort of
way as her forensic scientist character, Kay Scarpetta, becomes entangled with
the killers in her investigations to the point some are killed in her house. In
Stranded, the killer becomes a narrator,
has bought Maggie and her crew a round of drinks, unbeknownst to anyone, after
the FBI discovered the burial ground. When she can’t find her FBI cap, she
ignores it. That cap is what sets off his next killing when his victim
recognizes it on the head of the killer. He is stalking Maggie; they are
kindred spirits in his head. As I said it gets creepy quickly.

In spite of all the skills the agents command, it is always
amazing how we/they miss the obvious. Understanding our instincts is crucial,
as we always have to consider fight or flight. We have another story with dogs
who play an important role. A reminder that love to children is very very important
in their development.

Monday, October 7, 2013

I drove to Asheville, NC to do a brewery crawl with my
daughter, Caitlin and her husband George. I arrived at the cottage we rented
for the weekend at 4:30 and they arrived an hour later.We had dinner reservations for 8 at Cucina24. After dinner we went to
Jack of the Wood to sample some local brews and to hear two Appalachian bands.

On Saturday we visited eight breweries and had dinner at Table.Our goal was to sample their beers by ordering flights at
each brewery. After breakfast we headed east to Lookout Brewery. This was a fun stop.
The brewery opened on May 1st and had some very fine brews. The brew
master gave us a taste of some future releases, which were good. Their amber
and Jive Turkey were superb. Our next stop was Pisgah Brewery. This was a very
impressive brewery with lots of space and a fantastic stage. We sampled a dozen
of their beers. The most intriguing was the “wet” hops beers. The hops were
grown right there. We had lunch and then drove on to Oscar Blues Brewery in
Brevard. This was a wild place with great atmosphere, but the beer was
disappointing. Dale’s Pale Ale was the only beer to merit mention IMHO. Our
next stop was Brevard Brewing Company.
Another new brewery like Lookout, but not with the signature taste. We were 50%
as we headed back to Asheville and Highland
Brewery before dinner at Table. Bingo we hit the jackpot. A spacious
brewery with a great stage and music. The highlight was their Rye beer. Dinner
was fabulous. After dinner we walked to three more breweries in Asheville. Our
first stop was Lexington Ave Brewery
(LAB). My favorite was their Rye. We drove to our next stop, which would
include two breweries and a club with great music. The first brewery was Asheville Brewing which was a pleasant
surprise. Everything on the flight was very good especially the Fire Escape. We
sauntered over to Hi-Wire Brewing,
which was another very satisfying brewery with a very good rye beer and IPA. We
closed the evening around the corner at Ben’s
Tune Up restaurant that had a fabulous band.

Woke up Sunday with no fog and warmer than yesterday.
Because everything opened later today we hung out. We started the day in
Asheville at Wicked Weed Brewery.
A large establishment with a tasting room downstairs and a restaurant upstairs.
The standout were their saisons. We then walked to Curate Tapas House for lunch before
heading out west to continue our brewery crawl. We headed for Hendersonville and
Southern Appalachian Brewery and
enjoyed their flight and especially their autumn ale and Copperhead Amber. Heading
bvack to the outskirts of Asheville found us at French Broad Brewery and their dogs.
They had a particularly good Rye beer. In the neighborhood was Green Man, which was out of most beers
except their delightful Rainmaker. Almost around the corner and down by the
river was the most enjoyable family oriented Wedge Brewing Company. Good beers but a
better ambiance and a brewery I would frequent often if I lived here. Closing
out the tour at another family oriented neighborhood brewery, The Altamont Brewing Company was packed
and offered a grand selection oftheir own beers as well as some other brews
form other NC breweries farther from Asheville, which gave us a chance to taste
beers we couldn’t get to, what a bonus. Completely exhausted we headed home for
some cheese and crackers before dinner at The
Admiral. Out of town, this quiet former dive bar has become a favorite haunt
of locals for extremely fine traditional food done in unique ways.

We had a fantastic time in Asheville and plan to return in
the spring to see how the seasonal beers then taste. We will visit breweries we
missed this trip, visit some we saw now, and enjoy the food from other
restaurants, which rank with those we did eat at. Next time the National parks
will be open so we can do some hiking which we missed this time, GRRRR.

Friday, October 4, 2013

Unleashed by David
Rosenfelt is another mystery novel in a series. The title has many meanings. The
main characters are a couple. Andy Carpenter is an independently wealthy
criminal lawyer who doesn’t like cases and his wife, Laurie, a former cop
turned investigator for him. Cases come to him rather than the other way around
and he is more interested in make up sex, going away sex, returning home sex,
than law cases. But when he takes on a case, well he is all in with a crew that
would put the A-Team to shame. Oh and money is no object. Oh yeah, dogs seem to
play a prominent role in the Andy Carpenter series. His dog Tara is headlined
and in Unleashed a new dog is Crash
because he was found or rather hit by one of his friends, Sam, who works for
Andy. Crash has powers.

It is good luck to pet Crash as we learn throughout this
novel. The tale starts out with a drone strike in Pakistan that promises
revenge and retaliation. It involves lots of money and the key money man
discovers his involvement and tries to stop it only to die. His death begins a
cascading number of deaths and accusations of his murder. It’s about paying
attention to details and having a guy like Marcus on your side because Marcus
is Marcus. He is better than the FBI as we see and appreciate. Andy and Laurie
aren’t too bad either with their octogenarian researchers. We all need a Crash
and a Marcus.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Death of a Chef by
Alexander Campion begs the
question, why would someone kill a chef? Let’s find out shall we. While in
Paris I saw one of the coolest methods of moving someone in or out of an apartment
in a walkup building. It was an escalator type of ladder. The furniture was
strapped on and up or down it went with ease and wear and tear on the people
doing the moving. But for one antique portemanteau filled with a dead chef, the
movers were wondering why it weighted so much.

Campion is much like Martin Walker in that food; very good
food is devoured during the investigation of a murder. Wine is also consumed.
In this series, Capucine is the ‘head of detectives’ and her husband,
Alexandre, is not only a good cook in his own right, but is also a renowned
food critic in Paris. Recipes from three star restaurants appear on the
author’s website as they do on Walker’s. Both authors go into great detail
about cooking; how it is done so the reader could actually reproduce some of
this food, which includes some irreproducible dishes as well as some very
traditional and classic French cuisine.

In the case of the murdered chef, Capucine has her
detectives scouring all over Paris as well as making sorties into the country.
In addition to being a fine gourmet’s delight it also serves as a good
travelogue. Reading this novel makes me hungry and wanting to return to Paris. What
we often see in these mysteries is a connection to the past and this one is a
doozey and a young girl is in the middle of it.

The fun of this off beat mystery is that we go from kitchen
to kitchen, be it a three star restaurant or in someone’s house or apartment.
During the preparing and cooking our detectives also do police business and
then over a fine meal and a proper wine they discover something about the
murder while we only get hungry. But I am learning something and for me it is
more tarragon.

Alexandre and Capucine are a modern day Nick and Nora
Charles of sorts as they banter about things always over a drink and food and
at a nice restaurant. But the scene-stealer is always cousin Jacques. The comic
element is always furthered by an exchange like this: “Isabelle, remember that
phrase from Sherlock Holmes I always like to quote. Let the facts dictate your
theory. Don’t try to force them into your preconceived notion.”“Commissaire, this isn’t some mystery
novel. This is the real world, where there are no coincidences.”

What we have here is a fine book on culinary delights liberally
sprinkled with murders. Bon Appétit.

EST

About Me

I retired in Feb 2012 after teaching English since 1974 in private and public schools. I'm a father of three. I have twin granddaughters and a grandson. I have two younger sisters. I live in Woodstock, GA and I travel in a Scamp.
ted.nellen@gmail.com